Named “Sazae-do” for its resemblance to a turban shell—“sazae” in Japanese—it is a truly unusual temple, not only in appearance, but also because of its curious construction. The tower has no stairs. The wooden floorboards of the corridors gradually ascend like a ramp. A wholly separate spiraling corridor leads back to ground level, the two paths never meeting. In the past, pilgrims paid homage to Buddhist statues placed along the passageways as they climbed clockwise up the spiraling structure. For common folk unable to travel far from home, Sazae-do was an inviting, familiar place to worship and contemplate hidden mysteries. The puzzle of Sazae-do’s cleverly crafted double helix corridors are the result of a melding of ancient carpentry techniques with the playful spirit of the Tohoku region. The floorboards creak with each step as the unbroken slope of the spiral staircase creates the illusion of an endless circle—the enigmatic tower transporting pilgrims into the upside-down world of an Escher painting.